Fire-door-operating mechanism



A. w. GILLESPIE.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. W. GILLESPIE. FIRE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.2. 1916.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fiveicfaru flrmur W A. W. GILLESPIE.

FIRE -DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-2. 1916- 1,354, 183. Patented Sept. 28,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR W. GILLESPIE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

Application filed December 2, 1916. Serial No. 134,729.

To all who m. it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR TV. GILLES- PIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fire door operating mechanism, and has for its object to provide a fire door operable either directly by a footlever or by a fluid actuated means, the operation of the latter also being controllable by said foot lever.

In the use of fire doors operated by fluid actuated means utilizing air from the train air system, for example,,it sometimes happens that failure of the air system .or reduction of the pressure thereof to a low point, due to excessive demand of the braking system, results in the failure of the door operating mechanism to operate and where no provision is made for such an emergency it is often impossible to operate the door, save by ha d and at great labor, the result being serious interference with the firing of the locomotive. I overcome this defect by providing a foot-operable door which is also operable by fluid actuated means, the footoperating lever being arranged for detach Inent from its positive and associated mechanism to permit its actuation to operate the valve controlling the supply of fluid pressure to the fluid actuating means. This enables firemen to utilize the same foot lever whether positively opening the door or utilizing the fluid actuated means. My con struction enables the ready attachment to or detachment from the positive opening mechanism, as we term it, of the foot-operating lever. and in the event that the air system should fail or its use should become inadvisable, it is merely necessary to shut a valve and pin the foot lever to a rod member.

A further object resides in the combination of the door operating structure with a balanced fire door comprising two mutually separable sections operably inter-connected and constructed in such wise that the weights of said doors are substantially balanced when in closed position. and as they are moved to open position the operating mechanism is so constructed that its balance is disturbed sufficiently to cause the doors to automatically return to closed position, as will be more fully described.

Another object resides in the provision of a dash pot mechanism with the combination to prevent too rapid closing or clashng of the fire door. These and other obects will be more fully set forth and described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved door operating mechanism as applied to a balanced fire door, the position of the sections of said door when opening being indlcated by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the door operating mechanism certain of the levers, etc, being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the door operating mechanism, part of the same being broken away, as indicated by lines 3-3 Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 1-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the foot-operated door opening rod showing the dash pot plunger bracket attached thereto.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the valve block:

and

Fig. 7 is a similar perspective of a portion of the valve slide rod.

Like numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings, in which are shown a locomotive door composed of the sections 10 and 11 the same being provided withl outwardly projecting arms 10 and 11 respectively, pivoted on suitable bearings at 10 and 11 respectively. The doors are co1lstructed to contact along the line 12 when in closed position. Door 10 is'operatively connected to door 11 through the lever mechanism consisting of the approximately vertical rod 13 bifurcated at its upper extremity 13 and pivotally attached to the lever 14, which in turn is pivotally attached to the link 15, the latter being pivotally attached to the door 11 as shown in Fig. 1. The lever 14 is provided with a shoulder 14. This shoulder is grooved so that in closed position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, it rests upon a pin 17 lying in a groove in supporting block 16 which forms a part of a structure 16 rigidly carried by the locomotive engine frame or the like. The shoulder 14 is curved on one side of the pin 17, and as the doors move to open position this curved portion rolls along the upper surface of block 16 presenting a constantly changing fulcrum for lever 14, and thereby gradually changing the balance of the doors so that when the operating mechanism is released the upper door will effect the closing of both doors through the operating mechanism. To.

effect the opening of the doors, a rod member 18 is provided, the same contacting with the under portion of the'arm 10 of door 10, the under portion of said arm being slightly curved to permit a species of rolling contact. This rod 18 is enlarged to form a head 18 at its upper end, and when the same is raised it operates to raise the door 10, as will be obvious, and at the same time lower the door 11. A portion of head 18 fits between the arms of bifurcated rod 13 for apurpose to be hereinafter explained. A slot 18 is provided in the upper end of the rod 18, and a stationary pin 19 extends therethrough to guide and limit the movement of such rod. At its lower end the rod 18 is provided with a bifurcated collar or yoke 18 threaded or screwed thereon as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

Carried by the casting 16 is a bracket 20 having a downwardly projecting portion 20 carrying a stub-shaft or trunnion 20 upon which is journaled a foot lever 21, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for example. This foot lever is provided with a flat treadle portion 21 at one extremity, preferably located near the fioor of the engine cab where the fireman may step on the same when ready to shovel or throw coal into the fire box. The other end of the lever 21 fits loosely between the arms of the yoke 18 and may be pinned therebetween by means of a pin 22 inserted through suitable apertures in the yoke 18 and the end of the lever 21. The construction so far described is not a separate part of my invention but merely forms a portion of the combination which I consider to be my invention, and it needs no further setting forth in detail herein.

To dampen or retard the final closing movement of the door sections 10 and 11, I provide a dash pot mechanism consisting of a cylinder 25 having a plunger 26 reciprocally mounted therein (see Figs. 3 and 4), the same extending upwardly through a suitable gland or stuffing box 27 and attached at its upper end by means of a bolt or stud 28 to an angle bracket 29, in turn attached to or carried by the foot-operated rod 18, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. The cylinder 25 is preferably part of a casting which is attached to the bracket 20, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is provided with the vertical ducts 25 communicating with the interior of the cylinder 25 a slight distance above the bottom thereof, and also communieating at their upper ends with the reservoir or chamber 25. Smaller ducts or bleed passages 25 lead from the bottom of ducts 25 to the bottom of the cylinder 25, the construction being such that when the doors are closing after operation by the foot lever, as the plunger 26 passes below the reservoir 25 the flow of confined fluid, such as oil, from beneath the plunger must take place through the comparatively large ducts 25 which are so arranged and constructed as to slightly retard or dampen the movement 01 the plunger and doors until such movement approaches its limit when direct flow through'the ducts 25 is prevented by cutoff of the plunger 26, whereupon the interrupted fluid must flow through the smaller bleed ducts 25, greatly reducing and softening the final movement of the doors to closed position, thereby eliminating the clash ordinarily present. T permit escape or intake of air from or into the cylinder 25, I provide a vent pipe 31 communicating with the reservoir 25 and provided with suitable apertures or ducts 31 communicating with the outside atmosphere.

To actuate the door by fluid, such as air taken from the train system, I provide a cylinder 35 (see Fig. 3 for example), in which is reciprocally mounted the piston 36 provided at its upper end with a curved seat or socket 36 (see Figs. 1 and 2) in which are mounted the extremities of rod 13 and lever 14 pivotally connected, as indicated by numeral 36. A fluid supply or air pipe 40, the flow through which is controlled by the valve 41, is provided, this pipe communicating with the valve chest 42. This valve chest is provided with a chamber 42 from which lead the ducts 42 and 42, the former to the interior and bottom of cylinder 35 as shown in Fig. 3, and the latter to the outside air as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. A vertical passage or bore 42 is provided in the valve chest 42, and in this bore 42 is reciprocally mounted the slide rod 43. This rod is shown in detail in Fig. 7 and is cut away or recessed at 43 where it passes through the chamber 42. This rod is further provided with grooves 43 leading from the cut-away portion 43 and leading to the top of the rod 43 to provide conduits for the fluid from the upper portion of the bore 42 to the chamber 42. Mounted in the cut away portion 43 of rod 43 is the valve block 44 provided with a recess or groove 44 of suitable size to bridge and furnish communication between the passages 42" and 42 when in the position shown in Fig. 3. This block 44 projects inwardly from the slide rod 43 as viewed in Fig. 3, and serves to limit its movement, also contacting and sliding on the flat surface 42 of the valve chest 42. A pin 45 seated in a suitable groove in the top of the valve block at the top of the cut away portion 43 of the rod 43, serves to prevent side slip of the valve block 44 with respect to the rod 43. I also provide a coil spring 46 located between the adjacent surfaces of the valve block 4-4 and rod 43 as shown in Fig. 3, suitable recesses being provided for this spring in those members, this spring serving to maintain the valve block 44 tightly pressed against the surface 42 In operation when the rod 43 is raised, as the lower end of valve block 44 clears the duct or passage 42", the air or operating fluid under pressure will flow from the chamber 42 into the bottom of the cylinder 35, thereby raising the plunger 36 and causing operation of the door operating lever 14, as will be obvious. When the rod 43 is released the pressure of the fluid upon the top of the same will operate to move it to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the air will be permitted to escape from the cylinder 35 to the duct 42 and to the open air through duct 42, the slight excess weight of the door section 10 effecting this exhaust and the return of the plunger to lowermost position.

To operate the rod 43, I locate the foot lever 21 therebeneath, the latter being preferably provided with a recess 21 in which will fit the lower end of the rod 43 when the lever is raised into contacting position.

If it is desired to utilize the air or fluid actuated door opening mechanism, the pin 22 is withdrawn from the yoke 18 and lever 21, whereupon the latter may move free of the positive operating rod 18. Depression of the foot treadle 21 thereafter will result in the lifting of the valve rod 43 and fluid actuation of the door opening mechanism. Owing to the insertion of the head 18 of rod 18 between the bifurcated portions of rod 13, rod 18 will be partially lifted during the opening of the doors by the fluid actuated means, and consequently will be positively contacted and'moved to closing position by door section 10 when the same closes, this operation permitting the dash pot or dampening action to take place during fluid actuation of the doors as will be obvious, since rod 18 carries with it the dash pot plunger 26. If it is desired to utilize the directly connected operating means, the air valve 41 may be closed and the pin 22 returned to the position shown in the drawings, whereupon actuation of the foot lever will positively efi'ect opening of the doors.

\Vhile I have shown and described one,

embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be restricted to such showing or descri tion but have defined what I conceive to e invention in the appended claims.

What I claim is I. In combination, a fire door comprising sections mutually separable on opening, said sired.

sections being operatively connected, a footoperable means to move said sections to open position, said means being controlled by a foot lever, and fluid-operable means to move said sections to open position, said fluidoperable means being controlled by said foot lever, said foot lever being detachable from said foot-operable means when it is desired to operate said fire door by said fluid-operable means.

2. In combination, a door comprising sections mutually separable upon opening, such sections being operatively connected by a lever and a plurality of links, a fluid actuatable means operatively connected with said lever, a rod member operable to move said sections to open position, and a foot lever adapted to control the actuation of said rod member, said foot lever also being adapted to control the actuation of said fluid operable means when desired.

3. In combination, a door comprising approximately balanced sections operatively connected by a lever and link mechanism, an operating rod member connected to one of said sections to open the same, a foot operated lever constructed for attachment to or detachment from said rod member, said lever and link mechanism being operable to move said sections to open position, and a fluid-actuated means to actuate said lever and link mechanism, said foot lever being constructed and arranged to control the actuation. of said fluid actuated means when desired.

4. In combination, a door comprising approximately balanced sections operatively connected to synchronously open and close, fluid actuated mechanism operatively attached to said door sections to open the same, a valve member controlling said fluid actuated mechanism and comprising a slidable member, foot-operable mechanism to actuate said door sections, and a foot-operable lever attachable to and detachable from said foot-operable mechanism, said foot lever being constructed andv arranged to actuate said slidable member when de- 5. In combination, a fire door comprising approximately balanced sections, mechanism operatively connecting said sections, said mechanism consisting of a lever and a plurality of links, fluid-actuated means operatively connected to said lever, foot-operable means to control said fluid-actuated means, and means to operatively attach said footoperable means to said door mechanism to permit direct opening of the door thereby when said foot-operable means'is disconnected from said fluid-operable means.

6. In combination, a fire door comprising approximately balanced sections, said sections being operatively connected by a lever and a plurality of links, a fluid actuated piston having a portion lying beneath and being attachable to said last-named means engaging said lever on its power stroke, a for actuating the same and detachable therevalve to control the operation of said piston, from. 10 a foot operable means to actuate said valve In testimony whereof, I have subscribed including a foot operated member, and my name.

means for operating the door independently of said piston, said foot operated element ARTHUR W. GILLESPIE. 

